PSITTACELLA MADARASZI, Meyer.

Madarasz’s Parrakeet.

Psittacella madaraszi, Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. iil. p. 4, tab. 1. fig. 1 (1886)

 

 

:
Dr. Muyer describes this species as being similar to Psittacella modesta from North-western New Guinea
but smaller, and with the head and under surface of the body distinctly more yellow. It was found by
Mr. Hunstein in the Horseshoe range of the Owen Stanley Mountains, at a height of 7000 feet, and |
Mr. Forbes has also met with it in the Sogeri district of the Astrolabe Mountains in South-eastern |
New Guinea. Not having an example of P. modesta in the British Museum, we have not been able to |
institute a comparison between the two species, and in figuring P. madaraszi we must leave to future |
research the task of more strictly defining the species, the characters of which do not appear very strongly
marked. Perhaps the green colour of the breast, to which Dr. Meyer draws attention, instead Ba the dull |
olive-coloured breast of P. modesta, may prove to be a good specific character.

Dr. Meyer also received a female bird from Mr. Hunstein, which he thinks may not be in full plumage,
but which differs from the hen of P. modesta in having the head green, the forehead blue, and the nape

more or less barred across with black and red. He is not sure that the bird so described is the female of

 

P. madaraszi, and thinks that it may belong to an undescribed species.

The following is a description of one of Mr. Hunstein’s specimens in the British Museum :—

Adult. male. General colour above green, the lower back and rump barred with yellow and black, the
yellow bars broader than the black ones ; wing-coverts like the back, the edge of the wing cobalt-blue ;
primary-coverts, and quills green externally, the inner webs blackish, the primaries darker
webs, which are narrowly bordered with yellow near the ends; upper

tail-feathers dark green with black shafts ; crown of head,
ith dark brown edges and yellow shaft-lines to the feathers ;
sides of face and ear-coverts like the head,

 

bastard-wing,
and more bluish green on the outer
tail-coverts more yellowish green than the back ;
nape, and hind neck ochreous brown, mottled w
forehead, lores, and feathers in front of the eye sooty brown ;
cheeks and throat ochreous-brown washed with green ; fore neck

the latter similarly streaked with yellow ;
lighter and more yellowish green, washed on the flanks with

and breast green; abdomen and sides of body

nder tail-coverts scarlet ; under wing-coverts and axillaries yellowish

green, blue near the edge of the wing ; quills below dusky, olive-yellow along the inner edge. Total length
5D inches, culmen 0°6, wing 3:95, tail 1-9, tarsus 0:5.
The Plate gives an illustration of a male, but in two positions, the figures being drawn from the same

specimen we have described above.

darker green; thighs dark green; u

[R. B. 8.]